Junior Optimist Clubs of Oakville

The Junior Optimist Clubs of Oakville, also known as JOI (Junior Optimist International) Clubs, are supported and mentored by the Optimist Club of Oakville. There are multiple levels of JOI Clubs for different age groups. Our original JOI Club has members from local Oakville high school students in Grades 9 to 12 inclusive and is in its sixth year. They typically meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month from 7:00 to 8:00 pm during the school year at the Halton Police Safety Village. We also sponsor and mentor the Junior Optimist Club of Oak Park for students in Grades 6 to 8. They meet at the Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre, 2200 Sawgrass Drive, on the first and third Thursday of the month from 7:00 to 8:00 pm.

We have recently co-sponsored with the Optimist Club of Etobicoke another high school Junior Optimist Club of Mississauga. They meet on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month during the school year from 4:00 to 5:00 pm.

We are very proud of our JOI Clubs, their accomplishments, and their impact in the community. In all JOI Clubs, members elect their own President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary and Directors each year. They select their own projects and activities to improve experiences for youth in Oakville while at the same time accumulating required volunteer service hours for high school and scholarships. They have opportunites to enhance their leadership skills, manage projects and work with a budget. JOI is the umbrella organization under Optimist International that links JOI clubs in the Central Ontario District, the Region and Internationally. JOI members have the opportunity to also run for election at the District Level and internationally. They are also the first to be informed of initiatives organized and funded by the Optimist Club of Oakville. Click on this link to download a 2 page information sheet and JOI Membership Application Form.

Here is a list with links to more information about each of these three Junior Optimist Clubs:

People sometimes ask what a Junior Optimist Club accomplishes in a year. This photo captures their impact in the community. From September to June 2017, they volunteered 766 hours, impacting 1182 children, which is 38 children impacted per member of the JOI Club. Congratulations to every one of them for a very successful and fun year.

JOI members volunteer at all kinds of events in the community acquiring volunteer hours. If you would like more information about any of our Junior Optimist Clubs, please fill in and submit our Contact Us form and specify which Junior Optimist Club you are interested in. You can also email JOI@oakvilleoptimistclub.com. In the near future, we hope for form an Alpha Junior Optimist Club for students in Grades 3 to 5. Please watch this video filmed and produced entirely by the Junior Optimist Club of Oakville, where they talk about the things they do and why they choose to be Junior Optimists.